trips's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
This book had great ideas and the markings of an author who certainly knows how to tell a great story. I love the magic system and reading about the world itself was awesome.
However, there were unfortunately a lot of points I really think needed more time steeping before the book got publish.
-Some pretty big chunks of this book that didn't really serve much purpose in worldbuilding/character building/plot progression, they were just...there.
-the above point made it was hard to get a true gauge on the characters, they got a little muddled together.
-Many points in the book didn't make much sense?
-The instalove was boring. I can accept instalove in YA but make it fun!! It was just sad to me :(
I will read this authors next series however, because the author genuinely has decent worldbuilding and magic systems, and they will definitely grow as an author!!
However, there were unfortunately a lot of points I really think needed more time steeping before the book got publish.
-Some pretty big chunks of this book that didn't really serve much purpose in worldbuilding/character building/plot progression, they were just...there.
-the above point made it was hard to get a true gauge on the characters, they got a little muddled together.
-Many points in the book didn't make much sense?
-The instalove was boring. I can accept instalove in YA but make it fun!! It was just sad to me :(
I will read this authors next series however, because the author genuinely has decent worldbuilding and magic systems, and they will definitely grow as an author!!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Terminal illness and Death of parent
Moderate: Classism and Animal cruelty
Minor: Toxic relationship
aseel_reads's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
I really liked the magic system of the world and the descriptions of the tea but otherwise, it had a very basic fantasy/empire plot and I ended up skimming a lot of the text because nothing was happening. I also felt that at times the MC was acting in an out of character manner? She wasn't fleshed out enough for us to believe she would act/say something so rebellious
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying, Death, Classism, and Death of parent
Minor: Sexual harassment
sophiesmallhands's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Classism and Sexism
Minor: War, Murder, Torture, Grief, Death of parent, Death, Injury/Injury detail, and Chronic illness
bitternortherner's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
The beginning is a slow burn, introducing us carefully and patiently to the world politics and tea magic system, dropping hints of danger and conspiracy to draw us in. About a quarter of the way in, it starts to pick up with the danger and submerges us into the deeply forged ways of Ning's powers with tea. She is a wonderful character, myself being an older sibling I completely resonated with her drive to keep her sister alive. She is indignant toward condescending politicians, sassy with flirtatious strangers, and quick to defend others. I love her and cannot wait to read the second installment to see how this all unfolds. Full of twists, Judy I. Lin leaves us wondering who we can trust.
Queer representation is pretty good in this one. There is only one relationship (not MC), but it is tender and sweet, fierce, and absolutely normalized and not made a point of.
Queer representation is pretty good in this one. There is only one relationship (not MC), but it is tender and sweet, fierce, and absolutely normalized and not made a point of.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Violence, Bullying, Classism, Death, and Death of parent
kstacy91's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, and Classism
loustat__'s review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness, Death of parent, and Classism
Moderate: Misogyny and War
euphemiajo's review against another edition
mysterious
medium-paced
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment
Minor: Grief, Death, War, Animal cruelty, Confinement, Alcohol, Animal death, Blood, Classism, Death of parent, and Pregnancy
magnan1mouse's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Classism and Grief
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Police brutality, Death, Death of parent, Murder, Bullying, and Medical content
Minor: Torture, Self harm, and War
bearbookshelf's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Wow! A fast-paced, intriguing fantasy that I couldn't put down! I really enjoyed the way Lin threw the reader straight into the action and let the world build in harmony with it instead of just parallel to it. What an intricate magic-system, thought out political landscape, and cultural clarity. The characters presented themselves only in as much as the narrator/main character Ning could understand them, and this maintained the tension and suspense across the narrative as Ning's perspective melded with our own and our understanding of the text was guided by Ning's own emotional landscape.
It is infrequent that I find Young Adult Fantasy so spell-binding. I tend to get bored by the break-neck speed of the plot and crave more character insight. Lin, however, struck the perfect balance for a reader like myself. If you like a fantasy read with delicate and detailed magic systems, mystery, political intrigue, emotional depth, and class-based commentary, this is a read for you.
It is infrequent that I find Young Adult Fantasy so spell-binding. I tend to get bored by the break-neck speed of the plot and crave more character insight. Lin, however, struck the perfect balance for a reader like myself. If you like a fantasy read with delicate and detailed magic systems, mystery, political intrigue, emotional depth, and class-based commentary, this is a read for you.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Vomit, Torture, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Classism, Death, Death of parent, Violence, and Sexual violence
snowwhitehatesapples's review against another edition
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
Review can also be found at Snow White Hates Apples.
Filled with beautiful imagery and rich depictions of Chinese culture, A Magic Steeped in Poison is the first book in a duology featuring a girl named Ning who can perform magical feats using tea, desperately trying to save her dying sister whom she accidentally poisoned along with their mother. In an attempt to achieve this goal, Ning heads over to the imperial palace to compete in a competition where the winner is allowed one favour from the princess. However, things don’t go smoothly for her because of saboteurs and issues brought forth by her lack of awareness, knowledge and social status.
Despite all the aforementioned problems normally being what I enjoy reading about, I found myself feeling very lukewarm toward the book. Although reading A Magic Steeped in Poison was a practice in holding back my hunger and refraining from being tempted by the many delicious descriptions of tea and food, it also was boring because it took a long time for the interesting and crucial parts to develop. The pacing was really off because on one hand, we have a dying sister but then on the other, there’s this competition that’s taking weeks to progress and a lot of other events taking the tension and anxiety away from that sister’s impending death. Honestly, it felt like the story kicked off at the first page but only truly continued in the last few chapters. Everything else in between had filler vibes.
The romance also felt out of place as I thought it was too much for Ning to fall in insta-love with a stranger (attributing their strong attraction to the powers of the magical tea they drank together is questionable too) while her sister is dying. Like, girl, did you not run away from home just so you can try your best to win a favour from a princess to save your sister who’s on her deathbed and only able to hang on because of the experimental antidotes she ingests? FOCUS, please!
Other than that, I’m disappointed by the flat characters. There’s been a lot of care placed on the tea, the food and the culture but not enough of the same care was given to developing the characters into more complex ones. Sure, there were some internal struggles Ning had but they were too little and came too late. Nevertheless, I’m optimistic that it’ll get better in the sequel as there won’t be a competition limiting anything.
All in all, A Magic Steeped in Poison wasn’t a bad read, but it wasn’t entirely good either. I look forward to how everything develops further in the second book, though I’m not going to have high hopes—just in case.
Filled with beautiful imagery and rich depictions of Chinese culture, A Magic Steeped in Poison is the first book in a duology featuring a girl named Ning who can perform magical feats using tea, desperately trying to save her dying sister whom she accidentally poisoned along with their mother. In an attempt to achieve this goal, Ning heads over to the imperial palace to compete in a competition where the winner is allowed one favour from the princess. However, things don’t go smoothly for her because of saboteurs and issues brought forth by her lack of awareness, knowledge and social status.
Despite all the aforementioned problems normally being what I enjoy reading about, I found myself feeling very lukewarm toward the book. Although reading A Magic Steeped in Poison was a practice in holding back my hunger and refraining from being tempted by the many delicious descriptions of tea and food, it also was boring because it took a long time for the interesting and crucial parts to develop. The pacing was really off because on one hand, we have a dying sister but then on the other, there’s this competition that’s taking weeks to progress and a lot of other events taking the tension and anxiety away from that sister’s impending death. Honestly, it felt like the story kicked off at the first page but only truly continued in the last few chapters. Everything else in between had filler vibes.
The romance also felt out of place as I thought it was too much for Ning to fall in insta-love with a stranger (attributing their strong attraction to the powers of the magical tea they drank together is questionable too) while her sister is dying. Like, girl, did you not run away from home just so you can try your best to win a favour from a princess to save your sister who’s on her deathbed and only able to hang on because of the experimental antidotes she ingests? FOCUS, please!
Other than that, I’m disappointed by the flat characters. There’s been a lot of care placed on the tea, the food and the culture but not enough of the same care was given to developing the characters into more complex ones. Sure, there were some internal struggles Ning had but they were too little and came too late. Nevertheless, I’m optimistic that it’ll get better in the sequel as there won’t be a competition limiting anything.
All in all, A Magic Steeped in Poison wasn’t a bad read, but it wasn’t entirely good either. I look forward to how everything develops further in the second book, though I’m not going to have high hopes—just in case.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal cruelty
Minor: Death of parent, Classism, Bullying, and Death